The last thing you want when you buy a new piece of technology is for it to become outdated just a few short months after your purchase. Not only will a new version of the product offer additional features, it’s usually accompanied by a price drop on the old version. We know you can’t wait forever, and we don’t think you should. But understanding the product cycle can help you plan the timing of your purchase so you can avoid buyer’s remorse.

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A product cycle is an item’s “lifespan.” When a product is “born,” or released, it often replaces an older model. How long it remains on the market varies greatly between products; some companies release new versions of their products every 12 months, and other products—cable modems, for example—can go years between releases, receiving updates only when their underlying technology changes significantly.

Some tech products are more predictable than others. Apple’s product release schedule is one example of a fixed cycle; you can practically set your watch by the new iPhone release every year. But other products’ cycles are more nebulous, and in many categories it might not even be clear which products replace which.

That’s what we’re here for: to guide you through the product cycle schedule so that you know when the best time to buy something is, and when to wait for a new release.

8 to 12 months

Though major product announcements used to happen yearly, often tied to big annual trade shows such as CES, these days manufacturers in fast-moving product categories like mobile devices and headphones have been setting their own schedules, often introducing products at their own specialized events, and at a quicker cadence than ever.

iPhones: Until the iPhone 4, iPhones used to come out in June. For the past few releases, Apple has shifted that date to September, and we expect the iPhone 7 to be released in September as well. The older models tend to drop in price $100 to $200 when the new ones come out, and often, refurbished stock becomes available just before the new release.

iPads: These follow a similar timeline to iPhones; Apple used to announce them in March, and now the company announces them in October. iPads tend to go on sale more often than iPhones, so though you may find superior prices by waiting for a new model to be released, that’s not necessarily guaranteed to be the case.

Android phones: Though many of these are released on a yearly timeline, the Samsung Galaxy S6 was out 11 months before the S7, and LG’s G4 to G5 cycle was just under 12 months as well. Our runner-up pick, the Nexus 6P, was also introduced after the 6, with a 12-month product cycle.

We typically start seeing good sales on flagship phones four to six months after release, along with a good amount of refurbished models becoming available. Often, the price doesn’t drop substantially when a new model is out, because between the six- and 12-month marks, the phones have already dropped to around half of their original retail price.

Point-and-shoot cameras: These typically refresh every year, and our camera and imaging editor, Tim Barribeau, had some additional input on this category:

Historically, camera announcements have tended to cluster around just a handful of events. So at CES and CP+ (and to a lesser extent PMA) every year, and Photokina every two years, you’d see a big cluster of announcements. But this is falling more and more out of favor, and these events aren’t as well attended as they once were.

Generally speaking, point-and-shoot cameras tend to be on an annual update cycle, where higher-end ones will be on two to three years. And the more expensive the model, the less frequent the update.

12 to 24 months

This is perhaps the most common product cycle for modern technology products; in many categories (e.g., cameras, computers, sports and fitness gear) the trade shows are still important, and big-ticket items may stay in production over several seasons, not getting a full update every year.

Fitness trackers: Because this is a rapidly evolving category, many companies selling fitness trackers create multiple new products and update their popular ones in just a bit over a year. Garmin announced its vívosmart in September 2014 and announced the vívosmart HR in October 2015. Due to the nature of the fitness field, you’re often able to find significant savings months before the release of a new model. For example, within a few months of the HR’s release, it was available from all major retailers for a couple weeks for $130, down from $150.

GoPros: GoPro released the HERO3 and HERO4 at the end of September 2014 and the start of October 2015, respectively. The new HERO5 is taking longer, and looks like it’ll turn that 12-month release schedule into a 24-month one. Sales on the HERO4 have been somewhat common, so if you see a price you’re happy with, go for it.

Entry-level DSLRs: The Nikon D3X00 series maintained an 18- to 24-month schedule for the past few releases, but that timeline has slipped for the D3400. It still has no announced release date, and the D3300 was available in January 2014. Entry-level DSLRs tend to start relatively cheap and become available refurbished—with notable discounts—within eight months of release. After a year or so, good sales are often available.

On the Canon side, the company’s entry-level camera schedule has slowed as well. It started in the 12- to 14-month range, and hit the 23-month range for the T6i release.

MacBooks: The Retina Pro MacBook started on a nine-month cycle, which gradually became 10 months, and it’s now up to 12 months and counting. Apple recently refreshed the regular MacBook at just over the 12-month mark. We often start seeing sales around six months in, though most of the time the price drops are on models with underwhelming specs and not our recommended configurations. More-powerful systems do tend to go on sale within a couple of months of the refresh date, though.

Laptops: Product cycles are a little more difficult to determine with laptops, but tend to be in the 18- to 24-month range. The Dell XPS that we recommend is a 2015 refresh of a model introduced in 2013, and our runner-up, the Zenbook, was refreshed after 23 months.

Because refurbished versions of those laptops are uncommon, and the price drops aren’t often that significant when new models are released, you don’t need to worry about product cycles as much unless you absolutely need the newest features. Laptops will get a bit faster, they might have something new like a touchscreen, and they’ll often get a little thinner and lighter, but those aren’t make-or-break options for many people.

24 months or more

Cameras aimed at professionals (and carrying price tags to match) often don’t get updates as often as their smaller, more-affordable siblings. Often they’ll drop in price after a year or so of availability, but they’ll remain available for more than a couple of years.

Midrange/professional DSLRs: Our top pick, the Nikon D7X00 series, has a product cycle just over 24 months. Our runner-up, the Canon X0D series, tends to have a cycle that’s a little longer, around 30 months.

If you look at even-more-expensive camera models, they tend to release on an even longer timeline. With midrange cameras, though they initially take longer to drop in price, after around 12 months you’ll often start seeing decent sales and refurbished models. Because refurbished models from both Canon and Nikon tend to be similar to new models, it’s an easy way to save some money.

Indeterminate

Many products don’t follow regular product cycles or get updates once other technology improves—manufacturers update as they can or as they need to in light of current developments, or even just when older products have stopped selling. Though you can expect a new iPhone every year, your cable modem might be good for the next five years, and models introduced in the interim may experience little change or improvement over that time. (And depending on the infrastructure in your area, those changes may make little difference).

Some of our most popular guides feature products that fit in this category, including many products on Sweethome, printers, lenses, and luggage. Though you may be able to find better luggage down the line, you’ll rarely regret a luggage purchase, unless you happen to pay full price and an unexpected new model is released.

Obviously, this post can’t cover every single type of product we recommend. But this covers the more popular purchases for which we think it’s most important to be mindful of product cycles. Now you’ll have enough info to avoid that awful feeling that comes when you grab a new product and finish setting it up over the weekend—only to find out it’s already $100 less than you paid. And if we can help you do that, we’ve done our job.

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